Christmas tree ornament assembly and supporting means therefor



CHRISTMAS TREE ORNAMENT. ASSEMBLY AND SUPPORTING MEANS THEREFOR Filed Nov. 14, 1949 Sept. 22, 1953 w F PROTZ 2,653,216

A fforneys Patented Sept. 22, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE oiiRIfsTM s TREE ORNAMENT ASSEMBLY AND'SUPPORTING MEANS THEREFOR William F. Protz, Manitowoc, Wis; 7 Application November 14, 1949, Serial No. 126,955

' e Claims; (01. 240-) This invention relates tournaments and parornamental forms to lamp holders and provide an upright Christmas tree top support secured to the lamp holder. The major object of my invention is to provide a novel, mechanically simple combination of these elements that is inexpensive and easy to construct, and which is more sturdy than prior constructions.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel assembly of an ornamental form, bulb and socket holder and support that eliminates the need for separate fastening elements between the several parts.

' It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel tree top or like ornament assembly wherein the upper end of the standard or upright support that is seated on the tree top is employed to fasten the ornamental form and the bulb and socket holder together and to the support.

Further objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds in connection with the appended claims and the annexed drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of an ornamental star assembl according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the assembly of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the assembly of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a section substantially along line i l of Figure 2 illustrating the manner in which the upper end of the support standard is secured about the other parts and showing a lamp bulb and socket in the holder.

In the illustrated embodiment, the ornamental form is that of a five pointed hollow star made up of opposed star-cup shaped members H and I2. These members are preferably stampings of very thin gauge light metal such as aluminum or magnesium which can be bent into and is capable of retaining a given shape. The members may retain their original silvery surface lustre, or may be colored by lacquer or enamel to the same or different colors. For example, in one star the front convex face of front member H illustrated in Figurefli This completes assembly t 2 1 9 st V. V The holder for the bulb and socket assembly preferably comprises a short stiff tube I4 of electrically insulating material such as cardboard,

usually cylindrical. Its rear end is open (Figure 4) and a transverse wall I5 is secured across its front end. Wall I5 is apertured at l6 and formed with inwardly extending spring fingers ll. Prefably wall 15 comprises a cap of paper or light cardboard adhesively secured across the front end of tube M.

In the assembly (Figure 4) tube I4- is mounted within a radially contractible collar l8 here formed by a series of rearwardly projecting tabs 9 that are integral with rear member l2. Collar [8 may be circumferentially discontinuous or continuous as desired and it will be understood that the word collar in the claims covers both forms. Where the collar is continuous, the light metal readily permits contraction about tube [4 for a purpose to appear. The tube I4 is thrust into collar I8 far enough to locate wall l5 well within the interior of the hollow star.

The star is mounted on the tree top by an upright support standard l9 that preferably comprises a length of stiff wire formed at its lower end into a conical coil that serves as a spring socket 213 for attachment to the tree top. The upper end of wire 19 encircles collar 18 at 2| in a lop tightly enough to clamp collar 18 and, tube l4 together by contracting the collar about and upon the tube, and the terminal of wire I9 is twisted over and locked at 22.

Thus the ornamental form, the bulb and socket holder tube and upright support are rigidly secured together by a single common element, the loop 2! that is tightened about collar iii.

The usual Christmas tree lamp bulb 23 in its socket 24 is pushed through the open end of tube l4. Spring fingers l1 will swing aside to permit passage of the large diameter part of the bulb and then return to engage the neck of the bulb near the socket, in the manner usual for such lamp holders, as illustrated in Figure 4. Prefer- 3 ably a star shaped aperture 25 is provided in front member H to clear the tip of the bulb, or the dimensions of the star may be such that the bulb does not contact member I I.

Support wire I9 is stiff enough to remain upright and hold the weight of the star, the bulb and socket holder and the bulb and socket assembl when spring socket 20 is attached to the tree top.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein. 7 2

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

1. An ornament adapted to be attached to a tree or the like comprising a rearwardly apertured hollow lightweight ornamental form, a

collar integral with said form projecting rear-V wardly therefrom about said aperture, a holder tube for a bulb and socket assembly mounted within said collar and a relatively stiff wire support adapted at one end for attachment to the tree and having its other end tightly looped about 4 said collar to bind said collar and tube together in fixed assembly.

2. In an ornament as defined in claim 1, said lamp holder tube being open at its rear end and having its front end well within said hollow form, and a transverse apertured wall across the front end of said tube having inwardly projecting spring fingers for reception of said bulb and socket assembly.

3. An ornament adapted to be attached to a tree or the like comprising a hollow lightweight star made up of two cup-shaped opposed members peripherally secured together, a contractible collar comprising an integral rearward extension of one of said members, a holder tube within said collar and adapted to receive a bulb and socket assembly, and a relatively stiff support ,wire for said ornament having one end looped tightly about said collar to secure said collar and tube in fixed assembly.

' WILLIAM F. PROTZ.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,711,705 Stearns May '7, 1929 2,059,653 Pretzfelder Nov. 3, 1936 2,083,536 Abramson June 15, 1937 2,092,785 Stechbart Sept. 14, 1937 2,115,664 Cohen Apr. 26, 1938 2,228,691 Crosser Jan. 14, 1941 

